1. Pre-Application Meeting
Neighborhood representatives from interested districts will meet with City staff prior to initiating the application process. This meeting will be an opportunity for the potential district and staff to discuss opportunities available to the neighborhood. Staff will also explain the NCO planning process and the responsibilities of the neighborhood and staff in that process.



2. Application Initiation (there are three ways an application may be initiated):
(a) petition signed by property owner(s) representing at least 25 percent of the land area and at least 25 percent of the parcels within the proposed district
                                                                -or-
(b) request by a property owners within the proposed district, pursuant to an adopted neighborhood or other plan that recommends a NCO
                                                                -or-
(c) by City Council

 3. Eligibility Determination
A potential district is determined eligible if it meets three basic criteria:
(a) contains a minimum of one block face (all of the lots on one side of a block)
(b) at least 75 percent of the land in the proposed district was developed at least 25 years prior to the application, and is presently developed
(c) there are natural or man-made features shared by a majority of the properties, creating a cohesive and distinctive setting, character or association

4. Community Meetings & Planning Process
After a district is determined eligible, the neighborhood will work with City staff to determine boundaries for the district and the development guidelines.
(a) Public Information Meeting - A public meeting is held to describe the NCO planning process as well as the nature and purpose of an NCO and its potential effects on property owners.
(b) Community Meetings - Following the initial meeting, a series of meetings (typically four to six) will be held with property owners. These meetings will address the characteristics to be included in to the NCO development guidelines. Staff works with the neighborhood to draft the guidelines to ensure that they are consistent with the purpose of an NCO and the established characteristics of the potential district. At these meetings the neighborhood will need to establish support of the plan and guidelines prior to the final community meeting. A draft of the new NCO plan and guidelines will be made available via the City of Greensboro website and notice will be sent out to all affected property owners and to the properties adjacent to the proposed district.

5. NCO Plan
Based on the input from the community meetings, a neighborhood conservation overlay plan will be prepared for public review. The contents of this document are:
(a) Statement of Purpose and Intent;
(b) A map that indicates the boundaries of the proposed district;
(c) A description of the relevant history of the area;
(d) A description of the existing and common characteristics of the area;
(e) Design Guidelines for new construction and improvements.

6. District Approval
Upon completion of the proposed Neighborhood Conservation Plan, a public meeting will be held to inform property owners in the proposed district of the guideline requirements. A petition indicating support for the NCO plan must be filed with the Planning Director within six months of this meeting for the City to proceed to public hearings. The petition to proceed must be signed by property owners representing at least 51 percent of the land area and at least 51 percent of the parcels within the proposed district.

7. Public Hearings
The Neighborhood Conservation Plan will be forwarded, with the recommendations of the Planning Board and Zoning Commission following public hearings, to the City Council for approval. The City Council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of both the Overlay District and the Plan.